American Germany

GI's in Rubbleland - by Mathias Haentjes"

Frankly, I had very little sympathy for the Germans. After all they were the ones who started the damn war, not us." These sentiments as expressed by US Press Officer Gene Mater are shared by many former GIs who came to Germany at the end of the war. The years 1945-1949 were for many of these young soldiers the most important time of their lives.

'American Germany' tells the stories of German-American rapprochement from the perspective of former occupying troops. The Americans, who had previously only known the Germans from the battlefield or from propaganda, found that their opinion of the local population changed as a result of living in close quarters with them.

At the time, they were undertaking a task that was the first of its kind, i.e. to re-educate politically the population of a conquered country, to put that country back on its feet economically and to help its population achieve a whole new attitude to life.

In this documentary, Gene Mater and other occupying soldiers discuss their experiences in Germany. They tell us of the misery of post-war Germany, of distrust between the Americans and the Germans, of the black market and of the hunt for hidden Nazis. And they tell us of great emotions. Love amid the rubble - at that time this was no cliché but a reality a thousand times.

'Reckless, Dangerous, Pathetic': Key Players React to No 10 Briefing

THE GUARDIAN: Leaders on both sides of Channel react angrily to suggestion Brexit deal looks impossible

A No 10 source who said the German chancellor Angela Merkel’s demands for Northern Ireland after Brexit had made a deal “essentially impossible” has sparked furious exchanges on social media between prominent politicians.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, criticised Johnson directly, tweeting it was not about “winning some stupid blame game”. » | Martin Belam | Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Boris Johnson Ready to Give Up on Brexit Deal

THE GUARDIAN: No 10 source says agreement looks ‘essentially impossible not just now but ever’

Boris Johnson is poised to give up on Brexit deal talks with the EU after speaking to the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, with a No 10 source briefing that an agreement looked “essentially impossible not just now but ever”.

The prime minister appears to be heading for a more explicit no-deal strategy after speaking to Merkel to discuss his Brexit proposals, which have been given a frosty reception by the EU.

An anonymous No 10 source briefed broadcast journalists, saying Merkel “made clear a deal is overwhelmingly unlikely and she thinks the EU has a veto on us leaving the customs union”. Downing Street did not deny the contents of the statement and Berlin is yet to give its side of the conversation. » | Rowena Mason, Deputy political editor | Tuesday, October 8, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: The Guardian view on Boris Johnson: let no such man be trusted » | Editorial | Monday, October 7, 2019

The Brexit Deal Is Dead »

The Hidden World of the Harem | Suleiman the Magnificent Documentary | Timeline

The Guardian View on a Changing EU: Leaving Britain Behind

THE GUARDIAN: Brexiters routinely underestimate the resilience of the European project and overstate their own importance on the continent

There is a common misperception among British Eurosceptics that the EU is as obsessed with obstructing Brexit as they are with completing it. That is untrue in two ways. First, the priority in Brussels is to facilitate the UK’s orderly departure. There was a phase of grief, but that has mostly given way to frustration at British politicians’ collective ineptitude – remainers as well as leavers. » | editorial | Sunday, October 6, 2019

Macron Gives Johnson Until End of Week to Overhaul Brexit Plan

THE GUARDIAN: French president’s insistence that UK should give way raises chances of talks imploding

The French president has given Boris Johnson until the end of the week to fundamentally revise his Brexit plan, in a move that increases the chances of the negotiations imploding within days.

The UK proposals tabled last week are not regarded in Brussels as being a basis for a deal and Emmanuel Macron emphasised that it was up to the UK to think again before an upcoming EU summit.

After declining to meet with the prime minister in person, Macron further insisted during a phone call on Sunday that the talks would only be advanced through Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Sunday, October 6, 2019

Health Matters: The Truth about Heart Disease & Cholesterol — Dr. Dwight Lundell

Watch this MOST informative and educational presentation.

Saudi Arabia to Allow Unmarried Foreign Couples in Hotel Rooms

THE GUARDIAN: Kingdom relaxes rules as it turns to tourism to bolster economy for post-oil era

Saudi Arabia has announced it is to allow unmarried foreign couples to rent hotel rooms together as the ultra-conservative kingdom begins offering tourist visas for the first time.

The tourism authority said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday that Saudi women travelling alone would also be able to check into a hotel by presenting valid ID. In the past, couples wanting to stay in a hotel had to prove they were married.

“This is no longer required for tourists,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia announced on 27 September it was opening its doors to holidaymakers with the goal of diversifying its oil-dependent economy. » | Agence France-Presse in Riyadh | Sunday, October 6, 2019

Trump: Is Fox News Turning Its Back on US President? | The Listening Post (Full)

‘We Cannot Change What We Are’: Michel Barnier Stares Down Tory Threats

THE OBSERVER: EU’s chief negotiator reaffirms that a no-deal outcome would be the responsibility of Boris Johnson

As the Brexit pressure ratchets up another notch, Michel Barnier appears everything most of the current British government is not: clear, calm, precise – and logical to a fault.

“I promised myself from the start,” the EU’s silver-haired, grey-suited chief negotiator told a packed theatre near the Gare du Nord in Paris on Saturday, “that I would not allow passion or emotion into my approach to Brexit.

“I work on facts, on figures. On what is legal and operable. My obligation is to defend, calmly and firmly, the interests of the European Union, of its citizens, its companies, its regions … And in leaving, the UK cannot ask us to change what we are.” » | Toby Helm and Jon Henley | Saturday, October 5, 2019

THE OBSERVER: Michel Barnier: blame Boris Johnson for a no-deal Brexit » | Saturday, October 5, 2019

China Calls It Re-education, But Uighur Muslims Say It's 'Unbearable Brutality'

Uighurs are Muslims who trace their roots back thousands of years in Central Asia, most currently living in the Chinese province Xinjiang. The group represents less than 1 percent of China's population, but they have endured what the U.S. calls one of the worst human rights crises of modern times. Nick Schifrin reports on how Communist China has persecuted this religious and cultural minority.

US Immigrants Will Be Denied Entry If They Can't Afford Health Care

THE GUARDIAN: White House says too many non-citizens taking advantage of the country’s ‘generous public health programs’

Immigrants applying for US visas will be denied entry into the country unless they can prove they can afford health care within 30 days of entering or can’t pay for it themselves, according to a proclamation signed by President Trump.

The new rule, which comes into force on 3 November, will be applied to people seeking immigrant visas, not those in the US already. It does not apply to those seeking asylum seekers, refugees or children.

But it would apply to the spouses and parents of US citizens. That could have an impact on families who are trying to bring their parents to the US.

The proclamation said immigrants will be barred from entering the country unless they are to be covered by health insurance within 30 days of entering or have enough financial resources to pay for any medical costs. » | Agencies | Saturday, October 5, 2019

Thatcher Sent Pinochet Finest Scotch During Former Dictator's UK House Arrest

THE GUARDIAN: New revelation adds colour to close relationship between pair / Pinochet oversaw death and torture of thousands of Chileans

While he was under house arrest in Surrey in 1999, the former Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet received a fine malt from an old friend.

“Scotch is one British institution that will never let you down,” read the accompanying note from its sender: the former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

The detail, revealed this week in the third volume of Charles Moore’s biography of Baroness Thatcher, adds further colour to the close relationship between Thatcher and the man responsible for the death of more than 2,000 people and the torture of many more.

Thatcher was appalled that the Labour government had allowed the arrest of Pinochet while he was in London for medical treatment, overriding his diplomatic immunity. » | Matt Youkee in Santiago | Friday, October 4, 2019

The Guardian View on Donald Trump: An Abuser of His Office

THE GUARDIAN: The US president is trying to normalise his self-serving breaches of his oath of office. America must hold him to account and restore the rule of law and ethics

Until very recently indeed, the idea that the president of the United States might stand outside the White House and call on Communist China to investigate one of his presidential challengers would not merely have seemed far-fetched. It would also have seemed unpatriotic (presidents don’t involve foreign powers in domestic politics), unprincipled (this is the same China with which he is fighting a trade war and which may soon crack down on Hong Kong democracy protests), illegal (US law bans attempts to solicit foreign assistance to fight American elections), and a breach of his oath of office (in which he promises to protect and defend the constitution). It [sic] short, such a thing was unthinkable.

It is a mark of Donald Trump’s ability to trash the rules of domestic and international politics, and make up an entire new set of his own, that the unthinkable happened this week without causing much more than a weary collective shake of the American head. Speaking on live television outside the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump openly solicited America’s greatest international rival to help him get re-elected. Next year, Mr Trump may face a presidential contest against Joe Biden, the former vice-president, whose son Hunter – like Donald Trump Jr, as it happens – is a businessman and lobbyist with overseas interests. This week Mr Trump said: “China should start an investigation into the Bidens.” » | Editorial | Friday, October 4, 2019

Hong Kong Protesters Attack Metro Stations after Face Mask Ban

Thousands of people swept into the streets of Hong Kong for a night of violent protests after the government activated sweeping colonial-era powers for the first time in over half a century, using them to ban face masks. After darkness fell, crowds set fire to two metro stations and vandalised shops and businesses considered pro-China, leading riot police to respond with teargas Violence grips Hong Kong as Lam activates emergency powers

THE GUARDIAN: Violence grips Hong Kong as Lam activates emergency powers » | Emma Graham-Harrison in Hong Kong | Friday, October 4, 2019

Prince Harry Launches Phone-hacking Case against Sun and Mirror Owners

THE GUARDIAN: Royal continues fight with UK newspapers after attacking treatment of his wife, Meghan

Prince Harry has issued legal proceedings against the owners of the Sun and the Daily Mirror over alleged phone hacking, in an escalation of his all-out war with the British newspaper industry.

The decision follows Harry’s strongly worded attack on the British media’s treatment of his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

Buckingham Palace confirmed claims had been filed at the high court regarding alleged illegal interception of voicemail messages. News Group, which published the News of the World until its closure as well as the Sun, confirmed a claim had been issued.

There were no details on the nature of the intended claims but they were filed by Clintons, a law firm that has brought multiple phone-hacking claims in the past and won substantial payouts on behalf of its clients. » | Jim Waterson and Caroline Davies | Friday, October 4, 2019

Is UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit Proposal for the EU Workable? | Inside Story

Britain's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, may have to live up to his words very soon - that's if the European Union doesn't approve his proposals for Brexit.

The EU has already said there are problems - key, is what happens to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

There are more talks planned for October 17th - but that's just 10 days before Boris Johnson says leave will mean leave, even if it's against the law as it now stands.

With one eye on a possible general election, UK MPs would have to vote for what he wants, knowing that the EU can ultimately veto the whole thing anyway.

So, is the European Union ready to compromise?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie | Guests: Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University; Pieter Cleppe, Head of the Brussels Office, Open Europe think tank; Professor Alex De Ruyter, Director of Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University

Donald Trump demande ouvertement à la Chine d’enquêter sur son rival Joe Biden

LE MONDE: Menacé par une procédure de destitution pour avoir demandé à son homologue ukrainien des informations compromettantes sur Joe Biden, le président américain a dit qu’il pourrait formuler la même demande au président chinois.

Alors que la procédure de destitution à son encontre s’accélère au Congrès, le président américain persiste et signe. Jeudi 3 octobre, Donald Trump a ouvertement appelé la Chine à enquêter sur son rival Joe Biden. « La Chine devrait lancer une enquête sur les Biden parce que ce qui s’est passé en Chine est tout aussi grave que ce qui s’est passé en Ukraine », a déclaré le président devant la presse.

Le président américain est sous la menace d’une mise en accusation(impeachment) après qu’il a demandé à son homologue ukrainien de l’aider à rassembler des informations compromettantes sur Joe Biden, bien placé pour l’affronter dans la présidentielle de 2020.

Martelant que son échange avec Volodymyr Zelensky était « parfait » et sa requête légitime, Donald Trump a franchi un nouveau cap jeudi en déclarant qu’il pourrait « assurément »formuler la même demande auprès du président chinois. Le milliardaire républicain répète à l’envi que Joe Biden et son fils Hunter ont « arnaqué la Chine et l’Ukraine ». » | Le Monde avec AFP | jeudi 3. octobre 2019

Silence Still Surrounds the Murder of My Fiancé, Jamal Khashoggi. Who Will Speak Up?

THE GUARDIAN: A year on, no action has been taken about the killing. The Trump administration has much to answer for

Exactly one year ago, I stood outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, waiting for my fiance, Jamal Khashoggi, to come out with the marriage documents we needed to begin our life together. I was optimistic, even excited. Yet I never saw Jamal again.

I did not expect to have my life transformed. I did not expect to have to alert the authorities to Jamal’s disappearance, or to find myself at the centre of a story that would shake the world. I did not expect, on a day that seemed unremarkable, to have my dreams shattered. By necessity I was put on a path, compelled to begin a campaign for justice for the man who was not only stolen from me but also taken away from those who read his work, and who admired him for his courage and his unrelenting commitment to the truth. » | Hatice Cengiz | Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Boris Johnson's Brexit Plan Hangs by Thread as EU Dismisses Weekend Talks

THE GUARDIAN: Sources say PM’s insistence on Ireland customs border means there is no basis for discussions

Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans look to be falling apart as the European commission has said there are no grounds to accept a request from the UK for intensive weekend negotiations two weeks before an EU summit.

EU sources said there remained considerable doubt as to whether there was any basis for such discussions, given the British prime minister’s insistence on there being a customs border on the island of Ireland.

Johnson’s chief negotiator, David Frost, along with a team of a dozen British officials, failed to convince their EU counterparts in Brussels on Friday that he had a mandate from Downing Street to compromise on what the EU sees as major flaws in the UK government’s proposals. » | Daniel Boffey and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, October 4, 2019